These logos may look like they have a traditional gradient to them,
but on closer inspection they've used a much coarser and irregular texture.
This process, called mezzotint, is ideal for logos
because the texture holds up even when reduced.
A precursor to traditional halftones, the Italian term
mezzo means half and tint refers to tone.
So literally, halftone.
Because this technique was used
generations ago, consumers perceive its use
as vintage, or hearkening back to a period of superior craftsmanship.
It is a subtlety, but I can assure you,
the method of tonality or register can not be overlooked.
Be aware a logo created with this technique that is too contemporary
may appear to be a bit of a mismatch in the public's mind.
If these designs appear to be shoddily stenciled with a can
of spray paint, so be it because that's exactly their intent.
A rough texture with a coarse over spatter will give the essence
of either an industrial application or someone tagging where they shouldn't be.
There is a place for these and it
usually conveys a crudeness to the client it's representing.
Maybe a bit of a bad boy aesthetic is also attached to these identities.
The aromatvm logo is definitely an exception.
Here the spray was perfectly used to reflect the
floral aroma lifting into the air and, if not, it
would be a great logo for an allergy medicine,
with a volley of pollen particles releasing in the air.
Sometimes your client wants to create a vintage feel to their brand.
Something that looks like it was painted on the side of
a building years before, and it's weather worn and sun faded.
This allows a new company to look like it's been around for years,
and lets firms, with a long, proud
heritage remind the public of their longevity.
I think Levi's and the apparel industry
figured this out years ago, when they started
selling stonewashed anything, so that we could look
as comfortable as an old pair of denims.
All of these marks let the client look at ease with their brand.
Faded for sure, but in the best way.
Achieving a vintage aesthetic certainly requires the right graphic.
But softening the cell is about washing off
some of the hard-edge chroma of a perfect finish.
Think desaturated colors to perfectly complement this treatment.
So take the stonewashed logos from our last example and crumple them up.
Now, uncrumple them and pitch them out in the street to be run over a
few times, an ice pick to their surface for good measure, and you're nearly there.
Distressing can be a real tension reliever and it's
up to you to determine how much is too much.
We achieve here all the same vintage effects, but with
scars that are more purposeful, and tell a different story.
The Woody Guthrie mark is simulating historic wood type
that would've been scratched, pitted, and abused over the years.
The symbol for Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami needed
to indeed look like it just survived two disasters.
No one can deny using these surface treatments have really given
all of these marks an extra chapter that completes their tale.